


7,500 Kilometers

by doinganap



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Phone Calls & Telephones, What's new, it's that india trip where dan dented his phone!, lil lil bit of angst, really it's just dan being an emo fuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-11-06 17:50:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11041218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doinganap/pseuds/doinganap
Summary: 7,500 kilometers is a pretty large distance to bridge but Dan and Phil are trying. Or rather their cell phone connection is. It’s 2013 and Dan’s in India.





	7,500 Kilometers

**Author's Note:**

> uh i just banged this out in two hours because i hadn't read any fics based on this point in time so enjoy

Dan’s phone is pretty quiet most days. He doesn’t keep the notifications on for most of his apps because they cause too much clutter. Usually the only time his screen lights up is when a random family member or Phil is calling.

India is hot. And Dan says this every time (he really means it this time) but it’s hotter than any other time he’s visited. If he stares at the flora surrounding the hotel for long enough, he swears he can see them sweat. Maybe he’ll regret not joining his family on another adventure through another forest later, but right now his cotton bed sheets feel like they’re strangling him and it’s all he can think about. The open window is not providing the relief Dan considered to be it’s only function. It’s fucking hot. 

And his phone is still quiet. It’s around eight at night and the sun is making one last swan dive through the sky, starting to blaze a gaudy blood orange. Dan is twenty-two, undeniably of age to stop waiting by his phone and twirling his hair. But there he is, about 7,500 kilometers (7,544.6 if he trusted Google) away from home, longingly watching his screen.

Maybe he should grow up and --

The stupid picture Dan saved as Phil’s profile glows onto his face. It’s one that he took of Phil while he was sleeping, a private Edward Cullen moment. Phil’s mouth is slightly open and he frankly looks a little dopey with his box dye black hair falling in his face. Maybe it’s his contact picture because he looks dumb. More likely it’s because Dan misses Phil like this, quiet and all his. Dan doesn’t remember.

“Hey.” 

“Answered on the fourth ring. Strong resolve today, Howell.”

Phil can’t see Dan but they both know he blushes. Dan elects to ignore it. “You called late. What’s up?”

“Nothing much. Nothing much to do here without you, if I’m honest.” Dan can hear Phil walking into the kitchen, the familiar creak of the glass door giving it away. He can picture the sipped wine bottles on the right hand counter and the Sugar Free Ribena next to the sink and the small cactus Phil probably hasn’t moved since Dan last complained about it and the bright socks on Phil’s feet padding the tile. Dan hasn’t spoken for a few seconds too long. 

“Grandma took the family out to another jungle trek or somewhere. Going to bring back dinner for me.”

“Why didn’t you go?”

“It’s fucking hot, mate.” Dan winces at his words but waits for Phil to continue after his bout of laughter. 

“Like me?” Phil’s voice warrants an eye roll. “Don’t roll your eyes at me, young man.”

“You can’t even see me, Phil.” It’s meant to be punchy but it falls a bit off the end. Dan’s sad if he’s being honest.

“But I know you and you’ve probably propped yourself on your bed all day, reading or something. Proper bookworm you are when you’re not on the internet. Lamp on all day even though it didn’t help much. That’s bad for the environment, you know. And it’s probably just hot because you haven’t moved in forever.” 

Phil’s voice has been crackling a little for the last minute and a paranoia has been slipping through Dan’s nervous system. “I’m gonna go out in the garden. Maybe the walls are --”

“Bad signal?”

“Yeah.” 

It’s a few minutes of shuffling down the stairs (they got rooms on the second floor) and probably some unattractive breathing from Dan (getting fit was really a resolution this year?). Knowing Phil, Dan’s probably on speaker. Too lazy to hold the phone to his ear, the fucker.

“Okay. Down in the garden. Can you talk so I can see if you’re more clear?”

“You can’t really see if my voice is clear. It’s more of a hearing thing.” Dan knows Phil’s doing a full smile.

“Shut up.”

“Is it more clear?”

“Yeah.”

They both give a sigh of relief. They won’t admit it to anyone but more than a few calls have been dropped due to shitty connections. It’s always more depressing than when they started talking when that happens. It already had on this particular trip and Dan was in a sour mood for the rest of the day. Dan still hasn’t switched to a plan with international texting and Dan’s family still hasn’t given into his groans about getting a hotel with a good wifi connection. Communication with Phil is a moot point with the Howells. Not that they didn’t like him but an unplugged holiday was an unplugged holiday.

“So what book have you been reading?”

“It’s kinda dumb but I’m reading the Maze Runner.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah.”

“Then it must not be dumb.”

“It’s a total young adult novel.”

“And you say never to feed into stereotypes.”

“I’m a man of many layers, Phil Lester.”

“Yeah, okay.”

There’s a bit of a lull. Dan can hear all the bugs humming in their trees and the lights are starting to flicker on in other guests’ rooms. The sky’s being painted in broad strokes of violet and blue, sun fading with a scarlet blaze.

Dan’s still holding the phone close to his ear. He can hear a bit of noise, a bit tinny. Probably the TV. It’s midday for Phil. Probably bright white clouds hovering outside, typical weather. Those always gives Phil his headaches and Dan hopes he’s remembered to pull the shades down a bit. He usually doesn’t and it leaves him with Dan having to give him ibuprofen and the lights off for the rest of the day. 

“You watching the TV?”

“Reruns of Bake Off.”

“Lower the shades a bit?”

“Why?”

“It’s probably bright out. Don’t want you to get a headache.”

“Oh, right. Thanks.”

They don’t have to talk all the time. A lot of their time is spent in the quiet. Dan’s pretty sure talking to someone 24/7 would drive him up the wall, boyfriend be damned. But Dan doesn’t want there to be quiet between them along with the 7,500 kilometers. Sometimes he can’t fill it though.

Phil understands. 

“Tell me about the garden?”

Dan looks around contemplatively. If Phil were there he would make a show of it. Maybe put his hand on his chin and narrow his eyes. “The garden is big but it’s pretty. There’s a lot of trees. Probably with a lot of bugs in them.”

“Kind of plants?”

“You know I don’t know the names, you dork.” 

“Make them up.”

“Well.” Dan can’t get past his first word without giggling. If anyone’s watching him from their hotel room, he’s sure he looks like an idiot. “There’s… Plantus Redium? Of Asian origin. Spiky leaves or very hefty petals that are, you guessed it, red. And Phillus Treeus? It’s a tree, Phil.”

“Interesting… You’ll have to send me pictures.”

“You already have nudes from me, Phil.”

Phil splutters on the other end and Dan’s eyes crinkle.

“What if I had someone over, Dan? What would I say then?” 

“The only people you would have over would be our friends. And not even them considering I’m not there.”

“You don’t know what I do when you’re not around.” Phil’s trying to come off as indignant but they both laugh a little anyways.

“There’s a few rocks in the garden, lining the flower beds. I’d like a garden.”

“We just moved.” Phil sounds exasperated but Dan knows it’s something they both want. 

“We moved over a year ago.”

“Still.”

“There’s some nice hanging plants as well. I know you’d like some of them.”

“Are there blue ones?”

“Blue flowers?”

“Yeah.” 

“I can’t tell from this distance. It’s getting a bit dark.”

“Maybe you should head in soon. Your family might be back.”

“I’d prefer not.”

“Okay.”

“So… Hottest Lad of 2013? Impressive.”

Dan knows Phil just scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah.”

“I hope you know I did put in some illegal votes.”

“Really?”

“No, but I’m sure others did.”

“Oh, so that’s how you won last year?”

“Shut up!”

“You’re cutting off a bit, Dan.”

“No… I don’t want to.” It’s a stupid answer but Dan’s a little desperate.

“Okay… moved a bit. You’re better now.”

“Good.” Not that Dan’s throat closed up or anything. It’s properly dark out now but Dan doesn’t want Phil to know so he doesn’t tell Dan to go back to his room. Dan’s heart is a little lonely, being by himself all day. A recharge is always needed but not texting Phil is a drain.

“Just in case… Uh, just in case the call drops maybe we should talk about the radio show a bit? I was editing some of the videos today.”

Dan can’t help but be a little disappointed at the change of pace. He stares at the wall opposite the tree he’s leaning against. The garden is all dark and green now, the only light filtering from surrounding rooms through thick curtains.

“Uh, yeah. Radio show.”

“I’m fixing up the Ariana and Conor videos.”

“Exciting.”

“Yeah, I was wondering if I should edit out or keep in your gigantic grin towards her.”

“A little jealous?”

“No. Trying to help you protect your cool facade. You look like an over-joyed puppy.”

“What? It’s a look.” 

“Sure.”

“She’s nice isn’t she?”

“Looking for a new girlfriend?”

“Maybe… I don’t know… My boyfriend’s long distance right now, it’s a bit difficult.” Dan’s dramatically fanning himself before he remembers Phil isn’t there to laugh at his little gestures.

“Is he now? Sounds rough.”

“Yes, especially rough with the phone calls. Terrible connection.”

There’s a pause. The air’s quite humid and Dan thinks about how Phil would like his hair like this. It’s incredibly curly and he tugs a strand at the nape of his neck for Phil. 

“So the Conor video --”

Dan’s not listening anymore because he’s pretty sure something’s on his back. Maybe being under a tree with a high probability of bugs was a bad idea. It’s sneaking down his back and he’s just about to shit his pants. He’s peering over his shoulder, and sure enough there’s a gigantic spider meandering along his shirt. 

The sound Dan makes is probably ungodly, maybe even enough for the hotel patrons to call the police. All of a sudden, he’s scrambling at his back, fighting off the spider like a knight in shining armor. Except he probably looks more like a jester doing some physical comedy.

Eventually, Dan can’t find the spider anymore and assumes he flung it off. Head back on his shoulders, Dan realizes his phone is decidedly not in his hand anymore.

A minute later, Dan’s on his knees when he finds his poor phone prostrate next to some of the garden rocks. He would give a pitiful moan in condolence if not for the scream he had made earlier and also the phone is still obviously working. In fact, the call is still running.

“-- something must have happened. So I guess since you’re not around I’ll just hang up. Call me when --”

“Phil! I’m here, don’t hang up.”

“Oh, Dan, are you okay?”

“Yeah… fine.”

“You’re not but what happened?”

“Don’t laugh.”

“I won’t.”

“Promise.”

“Promise.”

“A spider was on my back.”

Dan knows he promised, so Phil’s holding back his laugh. There’s probably a smile rolling behind his eyes and that grin he can’t exactly pull off his face where his tongue pokes out. But to his credit, Phil doesn’t actually laugh. Dan can hear a tremor of one behind Phil’s, “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Fucking gigantic, I’m telling you. Monstrous.”

“Sure it wasn’t just a way to get off the phone?”

Phil’s teasing but Dan can’t stop his quick, “No!”

“Can’t get enough of me, then, I suppose.”

“... Maybe.”

They go on like that for God knows how long. They talk until it’s been five minutes of silence between the two of them, just aligning their breaths to each other’s. They don’t have anything else to talk about. Over an hour has passed. He won’t tell Phil the phone bill. Dan misses home and the rainy London weather and days on the couch and Phil. He wants to align with Phil’s breath while he’s laying on his chest.

“How dark is it outside?”

“It’s been dark for a while.” 

It’s quiet again and Dan can hear the bugs humming louder than before. He’ll be spending Christmas without Phil again. They’ve never really spent it together before. The fourth Christmas they’ll not be seeing each other. Dan desperately wants to change that but he does not have the faintest idea how to bring it up.

“I miss you.”

“I miss you, too.” 

Dan is not going to get sappy and start a scuffle over who misses the other more but he’s pretty sure he has the prize. He’s homesick.

“You watering your houseplants still?”

“Of course. Who do you think I am? A heathen?”

“You’d be surprised, babe.” 

They both know Dan’s too sleepy for this conversation if he’s started calling Phil ‘babe’ but they really don’t want to end the phone call. “You’ll have to go out into the garden more often. Good connection. No interruptions. Except that spider, what a cockblock.”

“After this phone call, I’m never gonna come back out here. No spiders please. I’ll just lean out my window.”

“Whatever suits you.” They’re really pulling for time now considering they’ve gotten to the point of discussing Dan’s future phone call locations.

“Well, I…”

“I know you’re tired, Dan. Go to sleep.” 

“Getting rid of me so soon?” The tease is flimsy at best.

They inevitably do say goodnight and the whole lot. Dan doesn’t even notice the dent in his phone from when he threw it until the next time Phil lights up his phone.

_fin._

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked it!


End file.
